Locking-tongue envelope



May 22, 1928.

J. M. ALTER LOCKING TONGUE ENVELOPE Filed April 28 INVENTOR ORNEY Patented May 22, 1928.

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:runrus M. ALTER, or snooxryn, new YORK, Assmnon'ro wnsmnnn nnvnnor n oonronnrron, or nnoo LYn, new-roan, n-oonrona'rron only-aw" YGRK.

LOCKING-TONGUE ENVELOPE.

ApplicationyfiledAp-fil 2s, 1s2,7.'fs ri a1;no. 187,134,. z 1

. This invention relates tothat class of devices described and claimed in Letters Patent of the'United States lloa 1,461,015, issuedon July 3rd, 1923, to the Western .-Envelope Corporation, on request.of-Georgelt, Ferry.

lVlier'eas in the preyiously patented device which applicant is practising extensively, in the use of heavy materials for the making of the envelopes or containers, considerable difiiculty arises in threading the locking tongue through the slots or under the keeper, one of the principal objects of the present improvement is to facilitate such actuation of the locking tongue as to make it easy at all times and irrespective of the thickness of the cardboard or paper, to effect the desired interlocking of the locking tongue.- 1

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists of the arrange ment and combination of-parts hereinafter described and claimed, and whilethe inven tion is not restricted to the exact details of construction disclosed or suggested herein, still forthe purpose of illustrating a practical embodiment thereof reference is had to the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters designate the same parts in the several views, and in which Figure 1 is a face View of'the interlocking portions of an envelope made in accordance with this improvement, parts being broken away to show internalconstruction.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 1, but with the locking flap and tongue Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 2 but with the guide flap in open position.

Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section on the line H of Fig. 1.

Referring now more specifically'to the drawings, I show a container in the natureof an envelope and made of any suitable but preferably heavy stock of paper or cardboard and comprising a body 10 having a front panel 11 over which extends a sealing fiap 12 having a sealing tongue 13. The front panel 11 is provided with a pair of substantially horizontal slots 1& h and '15 spaced below the mouth 16 of the container and of any suitable design. As shown particularly, however, in Fig. 3, the slot 15 is composed preferably of a succession of curves forming a central downwardly extending lip 17 forwhich there was a corresponding feature in the previous patent above specified. do require,however, that the slot 15 shall be cut of open formation as in the previouscase, a nattenogf economy of time and xpense.

In- .the previous practice, the, lockingfiap .1 2; and ,tongue. .13.v were {folded into closed position as shownin Fig.1, and the locking tongue 13 was projected downward and inward through the slot 1 1 and thencedownward and outward through the slot 15. This procedure is practical and simple with a light or medium weight of stock, but when a heavy paper oricardboard is used, itis diflicult for the end or point of the tongue 13 to be projected outward through the slot 15 under the old practice.

To overcome in a simpleeasy manner this difiiculty, I now provide a guide member in 1 the nature of'a flap 18carried by the edge or mouth portion of the front panel 11, either. integral therewith or otherwise, but extending normally, before sealing, upward or outward in the direction of the open tongue 13, see Fig 3. Atany time, preliminary to the closing and sealing of the envelpoe, the guide around the hinge line 19, and caused to proj ect directly downward and outward through the slot- 15 as in Fig. 2, where it lies substantially flat, or as far as the nature of the material will permit. As the end of the flap 18 so I flap 18 is folded downward and inward passes thus outwardthrough the slot 15, it

passes beneath and lies directly againstthe locking tongue 17. v

When the sealing flap .12 is brought down into closed position, bending around the hinge line 20, the point or end of the tongue 13 comes into position to pass freely and easily downward and inward through the slot 14, ridingatthis time directly along and over the then outer surface of the flap 18. The end, therefore, of the tongue 13 slides directly and easily and 'without'obstruction. along the guide fiap18 and is so caused to pass downward and outward through the slot 15, bringing the locking slot 21 formed thereininto juxtaposition with'the locking application of a slight pressure on said tongue 17 by the thumb ofthe other hand will bring the slot 2lsand tongue '17 into in- 'terlocking engagement 0 with each other.

The normal tension of the envelope parts and the friction between interlocking features will insure the permanent interlocking in the-positionshown in Figs. 1 and 4;. To open the envelope, the operator has but to grasp again the end of: the tongue 13 between the thumb and finger of one hand and draw the tongue downward, bringing the same out of interlocking engagement with the tongue 17. The locking flap andv sealing tongue '13-may then be opened directly.

I claim:

1. Ina locking tongue envelope, a body having a front panel, a sealing flap having a tongue co-operating with said panel, said panel having a'pair of vertically spaced slits and through which the tongue is adapted to be projected downward, and inward through the upper slit and outward through the lower slit, and means carried by said front panel and extending downward in the envelope and outward through thelower' slit to compel the lockingtongue to be guided therealong.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1 in' which said means is a flap carried by the upper edge portion of the front panel andintegral therewith, the same being folded downward and inward from the mouth of the envelope so asto pass downward and outward through JULIUS M. ALTER. 

